Australia’s dreams of Olympic gold have been dashed in heartbreaking fashion with a 1-0 defeat to Sweden in their semifinal. In other words, in today’s news of women’s Olympic football, Sweden beat Australia by a football match score of 1-0.
So, the Matildas, like USA in the women’s semi-final football fixtures today for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, are out now.
They will now face the United States, who lost to Canada 1-0 in another semifinal, in Thursday’s bronze medal match.
Women’s Olympic Football – Sweden Beat Australia by a Football Match Score of 1-0
Australia controversially had a goal ruled out in the 42nd minute.
And, just like USA fell to Canada’s marginal victory, Australia copped a cruel sucker punch from Swedish forward Fridolina Rolfo.
Rolfo scored a goal less than a minute into the second half for Sweden to win at International Stadium Yokohama.
The Sweden player took the lead in the 23rd minute when she ripped a terrific long-range strike off the crossbar.
From there on out, the Australians cranked up the heat and seized control.
Further Match Details
In the 40th minute, Alanna Kennedy forced a save from Hedvig Lindahl with a free kick.
Two minutes later, Australia thought they went ahead when Kerr cleverly volleyed in from Steph Catley’s free kick.
However, the referee ruled an offside. Turns out Emily van Egmond further down the line of players had blocked the run of Swedish defenders.
Australia kept pressing and shortly after, the excellent Yallop whipped in a brilliant ball. And Kerr just flicked a header past the post.
But still, Sweden snatched the lead in the most fortuitous of fashions in the 46th minute.
Logarzo partially blocked Filippa Angeldal’s long-range shot but it took a wicked deflection. Indeed, a backtracking Micah was only able to tip the awkwardly bouncing ball onto the crossbar.
In the resulting chaos, the ball nicked out for Rolfo to inventively stick out her leg and hack home from close range.
In the 55th minute, Kerr nodded Carpenter’s cross straight at Lindahl. Meanwhile, in the 74th minute, Catley forced a strong near-post save from the Swedish goalkeeper.
From there, the Matildas threw everything at Sweden. In fact, exciting teenage substitutes Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross created chances without reward.
Carpenter received her straight red card in the dying seconds for dragging down Lina Hurtig as the last defender. This ruled her out of the bronze medal match.
Authorities at the match also sent off star defender Ellie Carpenter in the 95th minute and she will remain absent. Australia will surely miss her on the pitch for the fight with USA for a bronze medal in Olympics football.
